MRC's Noyes Discusses 'TV's Tea Party Travesty' Study on 'Fox & Friends'

April 13th, 2010 3:16 PM

Media Research Center Research Director and NewsBusters senior editor Rich Noyes appeared on this morning's "Fox & Friends" program to discuss "TV's Tea Party Travesty," the MRC's latest special report.

Noyes provided statistical data proving the mainstream media's initial lack of coverage and subsequent trashing of the Tea Party movement [MP3 audio available here; video available here]:

Clearly the media double standard is apparent. You know, when you go back to liberal marches like the Million Man March of 1995, all the anchors came to Washington and set up shop to run full coverage that day. This Million Mom March [for gun control] that was something that people don't even remember anymore, that was in 2000, that had 41 stories in advance of their march, interviews with the hosts setting it up.

The Tea Parties [by contrast] got virtually no coverage at all last year: 19 stories on the big broadcast networks. That's in the morning, in the evening, weekend shows, Sunday morning shows, and "Nightline." Nineteen stories, total. And a lot of those, as the year grew on, became very, very disparaging, calling the participants in the Tea Party racists, haters, saying everything they were doing was nasty and angry, very, very different set of standards [from coverage for liberal movements].